The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-26
a DRUNKEN AFRICAN RULER
u Kingly Sot Who Insisted that All His
Subjects Should Follow His Example.


Mfeex q tho DieuVp A"JiVr oeiies
isrIt1en - tie 6uadAy Journal.
III, RzuL pE LnANpA. Angola, Africa. March
~ BY this firne doubtless. the civilized world
- hsnId that she objective point of Bishop
IayloT's orieinAl sDtsrpriss has been reached
HI stsr<,4 ~ plant mission stations between the
*At1anfic eoast and the tribes in the southern
nors q III Congo Free State, along the banks
& che upper Kaesai river. The chain of sta
1fons Is not yet complete. inasmuch many of
s. fhen have been NO more than selected and are
now awaiting the next consignment of mission
ntiee from America The selection of sites for
ntaftona has been conducted mainly by DR.. Har-
rjsop Who assembled the Kassai and some Of its
rppsr tributaries much in the same way that
sxplorsr would. This feature of the work was
axacaly ike the plan pursued while the Bishop
~ns opening up the field in this country, q ply
1ician preceding him here and selecting places
Tor the Bishop to develop. In this way it
koped to secure the most healthy localities and
thns insure the permanence of the work DR..
Harrison-s present resting place is Luluaburg.
thrivine and remarkable town on the Lulua. one
pf sho largest tributaries of the Kassai 1t is but
ono degree south Of the oQuator and very near to
che boundary line betweent he Congo Free State
and the little-known country Of the Lundas. 1t
tho headquarters, therefore. of one of toe most
interesting tribes in all Africa The territory of
tho Bainbas il Of considerable extent, and in
cludes many hourishing towns The people are
sinenlarly quiet peaceabls. temperate and con-
tented. They are, perhaps, the most sensible
natives Of the continent who have yet had no
contact with white men. DIR. Harrison found D.
roady welcome at their hands, and Bishop Tay-
1or and his associates viii be waited for eagerly.
The missionary work in this particular field is
most promising but the country of the Lundas.
and great portion of that lying to the north
xnd saat Through which the chain of stations
will hs laid 70 reach Luluaburg, is wholly differ
enk Dr. Harrison found it so. and the Bishops
experiauce is nor likely to be less extraordinary.
Alter passing through the many tribes of Bakon-
80 and Bsssonga. DR.. Harrison seems to have
reached civilization again when he set foot upon
Baluba territory.
His journey from Kimpoko. on Stanley Pool,
- tho Kwa river, which is the name applied to tbs
Kassai whore it empties into the Congo. was I'M
attended By incident Of any extraordinary char
Acter The natives of that region are accustomed
TO the sight ofgwhlte men, and even the passing
Of one Of the small government steamers excites
40 more interest than the arrival of railroad
train in 4 Michigan village. The Kassai proper
sixty miles from the Congo, at point where the
outlet from Lake Leopold II pours
great volume of water into the stream. From
there is broad, and easily navieabe for several
hpndred miles, and receives along its course
nnapy large tributaries. DR.. Harrison's means
Of transportation for the most of the way
the one discovered originally by Adam, but at
favorable opportunities he eased his feet by hir-
ing natives to pole him up stream a raft This
was not possible all the way. because there were
not natives to be hired. About two hundred
miles from the Kwa he found q curious people
living on thesouth bank of the river. He
that cciut enjoying the comparative luxury of
raft travel 1t was tediously slow and but slight
improvements on the tramp style. The river.
however, is exceedingly crooked, and the con-
slant change OF view kept the Doctors mind
busy.s Ills attention to the people through whose
country he was passing was partc-
pearance Of their dwellings, Native houses
all over central Africa never of such style
70 captivate the fancy OF an American; they are
slightly varied throughout the country, from the
rough conicai shape, similar to the typical
american Indian wicwam, to a round or square
structure with slopine, matched roof that
comes doun 10 within a few feet of the ground
But these dwellings that the Doctor
even less commod,ous than the poorest of the
Wigwams. They consisted of little more than
nniched sticks thrusS into the ground with
coarse cloth stretched over their tops. Gener-
ally one aide, that towards the sun, would have
also q strip of cloth, making thereby fiimsy
wall. or rough and scanty heap of twigs to
serve the same purpose of protection from the
sun Not native was to be seen in an upright
uaai&iOn. Most of them were asleep under the
awnings of their miserable dwellings A few |
werc sitting up. and these eazed stupidity at the
passing raft and one or two reached over to
arouse their companions and call attention to
the presence of q stranger in the neiehborhood.
But no one rose and ran to the waters edge as |
IL generally the case when a European passes by |
I< III. rx,,fld Iac fl.A
Doctor thought that thst perhaps would explain |
their lassitude, but when he spoke to of MS |
native c5mpanions about it, the man replied
mo; they are getting over drunk
This naturally interested the Doctor all the |
mere and he pursued his queries:
This tribe, said the native. lis not large |
ono and IL is steadily diminishing Once it was |
powerful and numerous and given to and |
conquest. But not long ago there king Of !
The tribe who found great JOY in tho wine of the |
palm, new thing, indeed. for either king |
eommon man to do. but with him the joy |
30 exceeding great that he wished continually to
be drunk, and as matter of fact eratifed his |
wish without stint For there are many palms |
all about. as you see. and all men are anxious to
bring that to the king which plsases him. The |
king drank vast quantities OF wine. and although |
the royal example would have been enough to |
demoralze the people, they were more strongly |
urged upon the downward path by the kings di- |
rect orders 1t was net enough that he should
himself glow with the fiery excitement. but he
must have company, and as the love of intoxica-
ton grew upon him he commanded. first all his
chiefs and captains, and then his warriors. and
finally the commonesJ people to drink with him.
And 1t is sad. indeed. that they had fine times
together. They began their drinking as the sun
went down, and when il was entirely set they
we're long way towards madness And pree-
salty when the moon was we'll up in the sky
kreat rage seized them all and they set about de-
etrueton ef all thing within their reach. In bands
ct from six 70 score they roamed about the vii
1aee. knocking down fetishes tearing mp the
eoekinf hreplaces before the houses and even de-
1lolishlng the houses themselves. And it came
% pass that rs the habit Of madness grew upon
the cOtnnuuity IL took expression. chiefly in the
d4atruction Of The dwellings,; and none were
nparod In the disaster that ACCOMPANIED each
nights cehauch. The king himself with wan
ton hand gave the first blow to the posts of his
own house, and it was leveied to the dust. And
e tho morning when all were head weary and as
those who awake violently from the first hour Of